Amazon’s fashion competition lets you shop the winning looks. So we reviewed them all
When Amazon’s runway-to-cash-register reality show “Making the Cut” debuted last year — just as the COVID-19 pandemic was profoundly reshaping the worlds of entertainment, fashion and retail — The Times’ TV editor came up with a novel idea. Since my seasonal jaunts to fashion weeks around the world to critique collections had been scuttled by coronavirus, why not review each “MTC” episode’s winning look — and recap the action along the way — to help fans, stans and armchair fashion critics decide what was worth clicking the “buy” button for? I was enthusiastically all in.
That first season saw a dozen designers whittled down — over 10 episodes — to crown L.A.-based designer Jonny Cota the winner of a million-dollar prize purse and a mentorship with Amazon Fashion. When episodes of the show’s sophomore season started dropping on Amazon Prime last month, the retail/fashion/television landscape looked eerily the same as it had the year before, so we decided to revive our reviews.
As you’ll read in the stories below, some parts of the show have changed but, with few exceptions, the ability to shop each episode — as in, buy the actual garments brought to life on screen — remains. And the sophomore season of “Making the Cut,” which started as a low-energy, less-than-exciting affair — turned out to have more wrinkles than a twice-worn linen shirt. With the Season 2 finale upon us, here’s every winning look from the series so far, reviewed.
Without a front-row seat to the garment’s inspirational lightning bolt, the winner would be just another pair of serviceable skinny black pants.
What sells the winning coatdress is the way the taffeta from the waist down flows and swirls as the model walks the runway along the River Seine.
A nose-thumbingly clever commentary on art versus consumerism takes on fashion’s elemental building block, the humble T-shirt. And not in a good way.
Jumpsuits are all the rage, but this winning version, with relaxed inseam and super roomy pockets, is just short of lovable thanks to two tiny flaws.
Just enough fun twists on old standards and novel, easy-wearing utility pieces give Season 1’s winning collection the feeling of a brand with legs.
The L.A.-based designer says his sales jumped ‘about 500%’ thanks to the attention brought by ‘Making the Cut.’
The winner serves up exactly what customers are looking for: easy-wearing clothes with a DIY vibe and a backstory deep enough to create a connection.
When the judges demur, our critic chooses an unlikely winner — and it’s not one of the looks.
A deconstructed denim trucker jacket may be a two-in-one bargain, but the carnival-inspired dress it’s paired with is what truly feels timeless.
Season 2 of ‘Making the Cut’ has a winner. And critic Adam Tschorn is here to break down the victorious collection.
